UnBreak My Heart
by wemmawriter
Summary: It's Valentine's Day!  Will and Emma are celebrating the most romantic day of the year for the first time together, but will it be all roses in the end?  Wemma fluff, angst and tears.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Valentine's Day. Wemma. They just go hand in hand, don't they? With the anticipation of the Heart episode of Glee, here's my Valentine's Day story for Will and Emma. Please read and review; I really enjoy reading your feedback, because I write for you, Wemma fans. I would like to sincerely thank Jodie, my Beta. She's amazing and offers the best suggestions to make these stories what they are. Love ya!**

"Happy Valentine's Day."

Caught in those final moments between dreaming and consciousness, Emma felt the tender touch of Will's lips against hers. She moved her arm to rest her hand on the base of Will's neck, but no one was there. The kiss felt so real, so vivid. It startled her somewhat and her eyes flickered open immediately.

Emma was alone.

Through darkness and squinted eyes, she sat up and scanned the bedroom. Everything seemed to be in its usual place. Emma glanced over at the clock. The alarm didn't wake her as per usual on a school day.

"Will?"

She felt for her fiancé's body. His side of the bed was cold. And there was something…crinkly.

She turned on the bedside lamp, a dim yellow light flooding the room.

Roses. Beautiful velvety-red long-stemmed roses; wrapped in cellophane and heart-printed tissue paper. Emma picked them up and breathed in their fragrance. Each little bud was on the verge of blooming, their petals so soft and satiny to the touch. She opened the tiny envelope that was attached to the cellophane and pulled out a card. Will's handwriting. Four words. _ I love you, Emma_. She shivered.

"I do. I love you, you know."

Emma looked up and saw Will leaning against the door frame, wearing his boxers. His hair was slightly mussed from sleeping and he had that heated look in his eyes.

"I love you too Will. Happy Valentine's Day." She leapt out of bed and jumped straight into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips. Emma pressed her lips against his, kissing him deeply, slowly, lovingly.

"Whoa baby," Will exclaimed once they came up for air. "That was a kiss and a half. You didn't even stop to brush your teeth first."

"Mm-huh, couldn't spoil the mood," Emma sighed. She kissed his forehead, then his nose, combing her fingers through his hair.

"I've got breakfast ready for us; we better eat before it gets cold." Will let go of her so she could get down, but Emma refused to budge.

"Carry me to the kitchen." She grinned at him.

"Like this?"

"Like this."

"Okay," he smiled back. Will interlocked his fingers underneath her behind to support her and they walked to the kitchen, kissing each other the entire way. Emma's hands remained around his neck until he sat her down at the kitchen table.

Emma looked at her plate. "Aww…heart shaped pancakes?"

"Nothing says love like cooked dairy-free batter…and a champagne breakfast." Will poured the sparkling wine into two glass flutes, each with a strawberry perched securely on the rim. He sat down next to her, trickling maple syrup over his pancakes and then Emma's. She took a few pieces of cut up fruit from the platter Will prepared and added it to her plate.

"Oooh Will this all looks so yummy. Thank you. And the roses…so pretty."

"No need to thank me Em. I love spoiling you. It's the most romantic day of the year, how could I not?"

They clinked their glasses together and took a sip. Chilled yellow liquid mixed with bubbles slid down their throats. It was possibly too early to be having alcohol, but a welcome change to the caffeine-infused morning starter.

"I wish we didn't have to go to school today," Emma said.

"I know, I'd rather spend all day with you, but it's only a few hours. Then tonight, it's just us. And we can celebrate all evening." Will raised his eyebrows cheekily.

Emma blushed. "And exchange gifts?"

"You betcha."

"I can't wait for you to see what I got you; you're going to love it."

"As much as I love you?"

"Well, yes, but I wouldn't want you loving me any less."

"That would be impossible." Will leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly. They ate their breakfast leisurely, talking in between the silence. Sharing a life together for this long, they didn't feel the need to make conversation. The presence of each other was enough. It was nice.

"Oh I just realised, I haven't made our lunches yet." She pushed her seat back, but Will stopped her.

"Already done. I was up super early. Everything's taken care of."

"You have been busy this morning. Anything else I should know about then?" Emma moved over to Will's seat and sat on his lap, draping her right arm around his shoulder.

"Hmm," Will thought aloud, "You'll just have to wait and see." He kissed her nose. Emma reached for a strawberry and popped it in his mouth. He bit into the red flesh and kissed her, their lips immovably gript to each other, both tasting the sweet juices of strawberry and champagne. He lightly ran the tip of his tongue over her top lip and kissed her again. Taking her left hand, Will admired her engagement ring and kissed her fingers.

"I like seeing this ring on your finger."

Emma smiled at Will, weaving her fingers through his hair. "The day I say 'I do' to you will be the happiest day of my life."

"You'll become Mrs Emma Schuester. I love you so much. I can't describe it. You were the missing piece in my life and now, I'm complete. It's all because of you."

"Oh, Will, that's such a beautiful thing to say." Emma touched his cheek with her hand. "I'm glad. You're the only man for me; you make me feel so special."

"My charming Professor Dollface, you are special."

The duo finished off the remainder of their breakfast and as Will washed the dishes, Emma had a quick shower, brushed her teeth and got ready for school. She grabbed her red blouse and patterned skirt of red hearts and roses out of her wardrobe, along with her red t-strap heels. Emma blow-dried and curled her hair, then selected a pair of drop heart Betsey Johnson earrings to finish off her Valentine-themed outfit. Happy with her appearance, she made the bed, laying her roses on her bedside table.

Will popped into their bedroom a few minutes later, dressing in his standard jeans and long-sleeved business shirt. The scent of cologne filled the air when he splashed a few drops on himself. Emma breathed it in deeply; this was the same cologne she smelt the first time Will rushed past her in the hallways of McKinley. That was moment when she developed an unmistakable crush on the kindest, gentlest, most passionate teacher at school.

"Gosh you smell great," Emma noted, giving him a hug.

He kissed the top of her head. "Why thank you. And you look very pretty today, all dressed in red. My lady in red."

"Oh! Speaking of red, the roses! I want to take them to school with me and have them on my desk." Emma picked up the roses, marvelling at how perfect they were. Will was so thoughtful; he had already done so much this morning, Emma had an inkling there was more to come today.

"Great, let's roll honey," said Will as he slicked his hair back.

"You grab the coats and I'll grab the lunches," Emma replied, pulling her handbag over her shoulder.

They hurried out of the apartment to Will's vehicle and began the drive to work. It was quite cool out today, the sun barely peeking through the cloud cover. Emma laid the roses in her lap, still in awe of them.

"Hey look," Will pointed out to Emma. "Someone's put up signs to their fiancée for Valentine's day." On the side of the road, hammered into the ground was a sign with heart-shaped balloons attached. There was a single word in black writing painted on.

_You_.

"Aw, isn't that sweet," Emma beamed. "I bet this girl is going to get a huge surprise when she drives to work today!" It was so nice to see the tradition of this special day still being celebrated. Love was definitely in the air.

"Can you let me know what it says, I have to focus on the road," Will asked.

"Sure!" Emma paused between each word, reading out when they were visible enough. "You. Mean. The. World. To Me. Happy. Valentine's. Day. Emma. I love you. Wil…Will? Will! Oh my God, Will, this is for me? This is why you were up so early this morning?"

"Uh-huh. All for you. And everyone in Lima is going to know how I feel about you."

"Will, I don't know what to say. I'm touched, really. You're making such a fuss over me." Emma put her hand on his leg, squeezing it. "I think I'm going to cry."

"Don't cry Em."

"You've done all this for me this morning. The roses, the breakfast, the signs. I am so lucky to have you. _You_ mean the world to _me_." She wiped away a single tear, overcome with emotion.

They pulled up in the parking lot of McKinley High and undid their seatbelts. Emma took a deep breath and turned to Will. Her heart beat rapidly and without hesitation, she leaned over the handbrake and fell into Will's muscular, wanting arms, kissing him with all the torrid, sizzling affection that pervaded her innermost feelings about the man she loved. Their eyes closed, the enchanting scent of the roses infusing their psyches, circling their bodies, entwining their souls.

Emma took hold of his collar, lightly nibbling on his bottom lip. Will's hand rummaged all over her back, descending on her hips, rubbing her gently with the stroke of his thumb. But it wasn't enough. He pulled her closer, out of her seat, the roses spilling from their paper and cellophane enclosure all over the front seats, on the floor, everywhere. Will leaned his seat back, his head hitting the glass as Emma rested her body on his. Their desire for each other capitulated to the point of ecstasy; their small fire was turning into a raging inferno.

Emma parted her lips, allowing his tongue entry into her mouth. Will accepted hungrily, cupping her face with his hands, sweeping his tongue around hers, kissing her swiftly and then pleasurably dragging it out, until Emma moaned for more.

"Mm honey," Emma gasped, wrapped up in their stolen moment. His fingers plunged into her hair, massaging her scalp and base of her neck as her hands rested on his chest. She couldn't believe she was making out with Will in his car. On school grounds. How devilishly stimulating. Will sucked on her lips, his body heat increasing, his tongue sliding in and out of her mouth, his own moans overpowering Emma's.

The handbrake began to dig into Emma's leg, causing some discomfort. She tried to shift herself to a better position but it was no use. Will, noticing her struggle, attempted to lift himself up and bring her over to the driver's seat so she could sit in his lap. Grabbing her behind, still forcefully kissing her, he lifted her towards him, but she slipped and let out a small scream, putting her hand out to stop her falling towards Will's feet.

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep!_

They jumped, the highly loud, unexpected sound of his car horn blared out for everyone to hear. They stared at each other in shock and then broke out into a flood of laughter. Will ducked his head, hoping no one saw them. He raised his head slowly, peering through the glass. Safe. For now.

"Oops," Emma bit her lip.

"Baby, it's okay. Probably best if we stopped now."

Emma's face was red and blushing profusely. "I – I – I just, that was so hot. Unbelievably hot."

Will caught his breath, kissing her forehead, then one final time on the lips, grabbing her chin. "Expect more tonight." They gazed into each other's eyes, the mutual attraction as bright as spun gold delighting their senses. He took a single rose from the many scattered in the car and lightly traced it over her cheeks, her forehead, her neck, everywhere. Emma's heart fluttered. The fragrance of roses now held new meaning. She'd never be able to look at another rose the same way nor smell them without conjuring up images of their impassioned moment in the car.

"How will I survive the day?" Emma asked fondly.

"It's going to be tough for me too." Will combed his hands through her hair, fixing what his mussed up from their impulsive, yet delicious kisses. They collected the roses, bundling them back into their packaging. Emma checked herself in the rear view mirror; her lips were incredibly swollen with a pink glow around them. It was going to be hard to hide that until it calmed down.

Stepping out of the car, they composed themselves, straightened up what was messed up, smoothed out any wrinkles in their clothing and they put their coats on. Will grabbed their lunchboxes and they linked their hands as they walked to the school building entrance. Emma proudly carried the roses and as soon as she arrived at her office, she put them in the crystal vase she kept spare in her cupboard.

Will took hold of her arm. "I have to go now. I'll see you at lunch. Do you want to have lunch here, or my office?"

"Your office. More privacy there," Emma replied.

"Great, because what I want to do with you is not for public display." He kissed her cheek and neck.

"Will!" Emma felt her body blush.

"I'm only teasing, but I think we need to have a quiet lunch together."

"Great idea. I'll see you later Will."

"Bye Em." Will blew her a kiss at the door and then headed down the hallway to his office.

Emma sat down at her desk. Today was going to be amazing. Now she definitely knew that Will was planning something else. The excitement from anticipating how the remainder of the day was going to pan out exhilarated every fibre of her being. She began to daydream all the possibilities. She was looking forward to it all. Tonight wasn't her greatest concern though. How was she going to make it to lunch?


	2. Chapter 2

9am.

Will couldn't concentrate.

10am.

Will still couldn't concentrate.

Emma's breath, her lips and her hands pleasantly tortured him during his classes. He smelled of roses, Emma's perfume and pure lust, a chemical reaction that bubbled and popped through his veins, making it extremely difficult to focus on, well, anything. Brandishing a grin that could have illuminated the dark, Will replayed this morning's events in his head, every single nuance ingrained into his memory.

He wanted her.

He wanted to continue what they were doing in the car.

He wanted… he wanted to make passionate love to her all afternoon.

He hoped she wanted the same.

And standing in class, teaching students about the Trojan War was not making the morning go any faster. Twice he referred to Helen of Troy as 'Emma of Troy' and then almost forgot to give another class their history test. Smitten was not the word to describe how he was feeling about Emma right now.

Uncontrolled enrapture sounded much better.

Emma managed to hold her own, but it was a struggle. She felt the bruise on her thigh from the handbrake, and although it hurt, she smiled. A commemoration, she decided, of an impassioned affair. She was in a daydream, not really listening to the problems that the students of McKinley High came to visit her for. It was when a senior started clicking his fingers in front of Emma's eyes to catch her attention did she realise her infatuation was bordering on extreme. She had to concentrate.

But all she could hear were Will's moans echoing her ear.

All she could see were Will's dark, bedroom eyes looking at her as she kissed his lips.

And all she could feel were Will's fingertips touching her body, making her tremble inside.

She was a wreck. And she loved it.

It felt like an eternity, but finally the lunch bell rang. Will, another present in hand, collected their lunchboxes from the teacher's lounge and hurried over to Emma's office. They only had 40 minutes and he didn't want to waste one single second.

He saw Emma, head down, doing her paperwork. Her ginger hair framed her petite face, her gentle hands flowing across the desk as she sorted reports and tided up. So gorgeous.

Will cleared his throat. "Hey baby."

She looked up immediately, smiling. "Will." Emma got up and ran over to him.

He closed the glass door behind him, so as not to be disturbed and placed their lunchboxes on a chair. "I wanted to give this to you now." He handed her a neatly wrapped box with a thick red ribbon and card attached. "I decided tonight wasn't early enough."

"Another surprise!" Emma placed the present on her desk and tore the card out of the envelope. She smiled when she read what Will had written inside:

_Dear Emma,_

_The wings of love carried me to you. Now you hold the key to my heart._

_I love you more each day. I will love you forever._

_Happy Valentine's Day darling._

_Love, Will xxx_

"Such beautiful words. I couldn't wish for a more perfect fiancé. I adore you." Upon hearing her words, Will took Emma in his arms, holding her waist, admiring the rise of her rosy cheeks as she beamed up at him. He leaned down and kissed her, their lips clinging to each other, a magical stillness created by their single caress.

"It feels like I've said it a million times today, but God, I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Emma snuggled up to him, content and extremely happy. He kissed the top of her head, and caught the gaze of the passing students, who giggled at them in the hallways.

"Tonight, I'm going to cook for you. We're going to have a romantic picnic indoors, since I know that grass and dirt isn't your cup of tea. We'll spread a blanket out in front of the fireplace, light some candles, have soft music playing in the background and see where the evening takes us."

"Sounds absolutely perfect."

Will spun her and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck. "Emma, I care for you deeply. Let's make a memory tonight." He nibbled on her earlobe, whispering: "Let me make love to you." _Please say yes_.

Emma froze. "Um…" She broke away from him.

He sadly frowned. "You don't want to, baby?"

"It's not that I don't want to…"

"Phew. You had me worried for a second."

"I mean, eventually, yes, you know, in the future I would like to do… to do that with you," Emma explained. "The very distant future."

"The very distant future?" Will asked despondently. "Um, okay, wow. I can't help but feel a little disappointed. No, in fact, I'm really disappointed." He had always been patient with Emma, fully aware that their relationship was going to test their feelings, opinions and values, even more so than his relationship with Terri. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. There would be a multitude of challenges. Being intimate was one of them. Emma was unwittingly playing hot and cold with him, getting him warmed up but with nowhere to expel the heat. When it came down to it, Will was frustrated. Emotionally and sexually. No matter what he did, it constantly felt like there was no reward. It sounded terrible, but it was the truth. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how Carl felt. He dare not go there though.

His tried to hide his aggravation, but it wasn't working. "How long have we been together?"

"Uh, about 9 months."

"Emma, our relationship is not going to progress if we don't take that next step. If you don't take that next step."

"It's hard for me, Will."

"Believe me; it's even harder for me," he scoffed.

"Why are you pressuring me?"

"I'm not pressuring you, it's just… I want to make love to my fiancée." He held her hands. "I want to show her how much I love her, not with flowers, or signs or any of that but with being intimate, sharing that special, beautiful moment between two people."

"I thought you said we'd take our time with this."

"The signs you're giving me tell me you want to go further, but I just don't know. The car, Em, this morning, that wasn't a friendly peck on the cheek. It was leading somewhere; we both felt it."

She let go of him, anger growing inside. "Do we need to discuss this now?"

"Yes, yes we do. Let's get this out in the open. Em, you want children with me, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Good. Because I want children more than anything and I want to have them with you, but we're not going to have any if we don't…you know."

This was unbelievable. "Do you think I'm stupid Will?" She shouted at him. "Do you think because I haven't done it before I have no idea how sex works?"

"No." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "On both counts. You're a beautiful, intelligent woman. And I love you. You're wonderful. I get upset because there you are, looking the way you do and you won't let me do more than hug or kiss you. Even if we do go further, we don't go that far." He was about to say something more, but refrained. Will looked at her, motionless. This was their first uncomfortable silence since they became a couple.

"What? What are you trying to say?"

"I need more. And I can't put any more into the relationship if you won't reciprocate. And when you do… you give me mixed signals Em. I don't know what you want!" The dam had burst in Will; he saw the hurt in Emma's eyes, but nothing could stop the deluge of what was to come. "I – I think, maybe in light of all this, we should… take a small break… from 'us'." Will lowered his head. He felt sick.

"Oh God." Emma thought she was going to faint. Her legs wobbled and her stomach felt like it had just taken a rollercoaster ride to hell. "In light of all this? Why? Because I'm not ready? Because I get cold feet? Oh, God."

"Em…?" He reached for her, but she wrenched herself away. She rested her hands on the corner of her desk, taking in what Will had said. A break. On Valentine's Day.

She took a deep breath. Emma kept as calm as possible on the outside; inside she was crumbling. "No, you know what? You're right. Maybe we should take a break."

It was a tough decision. She wasn't thinking clearly. How could her perfect morning come crashing down by lunchtime? Emma breathed heavily, shaking, petrified about what she was going to say. Maybe she was being rash, but Will had made her so angry. So angry it broke her heart.

"Which means…," Emma slid the engagement ring off her finger.

"No… no Em, please," Will pleaded, choking on his words. All this was his fault. The one thing that Emma was fragile about and he had to shove it right in her face. And make a big deal about it, because he wasn't, to put it bluntly, getting any. He ran his fingers through his hair, watching her in agony as she removed the ring, their life together, shattered.

Emma took his hand and placed the ring in his palm, closing his fingers around it. "I think it's for the best," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I can't wear this and look at it and not think of you."

"This is yours Em; I don't want you to give it back to me." Will outstretched his arm and opened his hand, revealing the ring, hoping she would take it back. She didn't.

Emma shook her head, her voice wavering. "Please leave. Don't wait for me this afternoon; I'll make my own way home. But only to pack a few things."

"No, Em, no, no, no. I beg you Em, no. Don't do this to us."

"Do what? It was your decision to go on a break. I agreed. We want different things, it's all too clear now."

He fell to his knees, winded from the blow Emma dealt. "I'm sorry that you feel pressured. I'm sorry if you think I'm taking things too fast. I'm sorry that I want to be intimate with you, cover your beautiful body with my kisses, love you the way you ought to be loved, have our bodies joined together as one. I meant that we needed to take a step back. Not a permanent break-up. Believe me."

"But you must be thinking it."

He held his breath. "Sex wasn't meant to get in the way."

"Well, it just did. I'm sorry I can't give you what you want."

Will rose and stared at her, watching the tears that trickled down her face, tears that matched his own. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. She took hold of his arms and bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to swallow the lump in her throat that just wouldn't go away.

He murmured between cries. "Don't leave me."

Emma felt his pain, but refused to retract her decision. She was in unbearable pain too.

"You need to go."

Will let go of her and dejectedly walked to the door. He paused, praying she would change her mind. But all he heard was silence. Will opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. His hand throbbed from clenching the ring tightly.

Emma walked back to her desk, trembling. The present from Will sat there staring at her, a brutal reminder of a special day, ruined. She considered not opening it at all, but did anyway, trying not to tear the wrapping. A wooden heart-shaped jewellery box was inside. It looked handmade. Burned into the lid were the words 'I give my heart to you' in neat cursive. Will. He had made it. She thought back to the last few weeks leading up to today, and now it clicked. For an entire week he had come home later than usual, smelling like wood shavings and varnish. She traced the words with her index finger and burst into tears.

Will had ripped her heart out and stamped all over it. She felt so broken, devastated, numb. Her one true love, the man she considered her soul mate, gone. Handing the ring back was a regrettable decision; she felt awful.

She opened the jewellery box. Its contents made her cry.

Cardboard hearts. 50 of them. Red. Pink. White. _Oh God, Will, why are you doing this to me?_ Will had gone to a lot of effort to make Valentine's Day special for Emma. Each cut out heart had a message in Will's writing. Emma took them out, one by one and read them aloud.

"You complete me. You are adorable. B-beautiful eyes. You won my h-heart. Ginger princess. I love you Emma. All f-for you. Sweetheart. Am-amazing kisser. Forever Love. Beautiful soul. Perfect. S-soul m-mate…"

Emma pushed the jewellery box away, unable to endure reading any more. She laid her head on her desk and cried deep, gut-wrenching sobs.

Will walked back to the teacher's lounge, wiping his tears on the sleeve of his shirt. Seeing Coach Beiste at a table by herself he joined her, slumping in his chair, head in his hands.

"Will, aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Emma?" Shannon asked.

"We were."

"Are you ok? What's happened?"

He looked at her, his eyes red and swollen. Will held the engagement ring between his thumb and index finger, speaking slowly, still trying to fathom the last 10 minutes. "I think we just broke up."


	3. Chapter 3

A sudden chill was creeping in on an almost impossibly gloomy day. Will had decided to steer clear of Emma's office for the remainder of the afternoon; he wasn't ready to face her. His stomach rumbled, having not eaten anything since breakfast. When he left Emma's office at lunch time, he had forgotten to take his lunch with him. Will hadn't felt like eating anyway. Who could after the spread he served Emma at lunch today? It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Her engagement ring felt like a lead weight in his jean pocket. Will kept feeling for it, ensuring it hadn't fallen through a non-existent hole. He considered leaving it in his desk drawer, but feared it would be stolen by students and pawned for concealable weaponry. Many times he considered calling Emma on her extension, wanting to tell her how he had a fight with his fiancée, but realised he couldn't, because it was her. Emma was Will's confidante and vice versa; they told each other everything. And now, they weren't even speaking. A piece of him was missing, possibly lost forever.

Emma wasn't doing so well either. She cancelled her appointments for the afternoon and locked her door. She refused to take calls, ignoring them and letting them go to her message bank. The emails piled up in Emma's inbox, the unread overtaking the actioned. She no longer had the motivation to do any type of school-related work for the rest of the day.

Instead, Emma cleaned.

Starting with her bookshelf, she took down each set of books and dusted them, then dusted and polished the shelf, finally returning the books to their clean homes. Dust, polish, repeat. The glass windows were polished within an inch of their life as Emma applied her very own 'wax on-wax off' technique. Finally, the carpet, shampooed and vacuumed, smelling like an English country garden. Her upper body ached from the sheer force she applied to her cleaning.

Next, she tidied her desk, cleaned out the drawers, reorganised her already organised filing system, dusted down her computer and phone, and resharpened pencils.

She wasn't sure what to do with the roses.

They were blooming brilliantly, petals awakened, smelling just as fragrant as they did in the morning. It would be wrong to throw them in the trash. She couldn't do that to Will. It would mean she'd be throwing what they had away too and she wasn't prepared to do that just yet. Emma picked up a single rose, trailing it across her face, cheeks and nose and finally down her neck, just like Will had done this morning. Her body tingled.

Emma had tried not to look at the Superman lunchbox that still sat on the chair opposite her desk. Maybe she should casually walk past Will's office and… no. _No, Emma, you're not going to give in_. Returning the rose to the others, she rubbed her now naked ring finger, doing her best to hold back tears that seemed to flow so easily today. Her left hand felt so much lighter. She hated it.

Will was embarrassed. He was so blessed he could talk to Shannon, who sympathised with him and offered to give Emma a lift home if she asked. Or casually bring it up in conversation. He couldn't bring himself to even tell the Glee club, who knew something was wrong. Will's heart was not in it to coach today; his heart was floating in places unknown, trying to find its way back to him. And Emma. So, he dismissed the teenagers early and headed home.

The drive back to Will's apartment was lonely. The car chugged along the road, fashioning a heavy hollow noise, as hollow as he felt without Emma next to him.

"You're an idiot Will!" he exclaimed to himself, banging his hand on the steering wheel while waiting for the red light to change to green. The moment it changed, he sped off like a rocket, desperate to get away from it all, to keep on driving, out of Lima, out of Ohio, to Wherever, USA. There was no absconding though. He released his foot from the accelerator and slowed, pulling off the road. His body shook, conceding defeat to the tears that fell from his eyes, each drop falling for Emma.

For thirty minutes he sat in that car, his sinuses aching from crying. The sun was falling behind the clouds; soon it would be evening on what was now deemed the most horrible romantic day ever. He had to go home. He had to see Emma before she left and sort this mess out. He wasn't sure how he'd cope without her.

The doorman stopped him as he entered his apartment building.

"Mr Schuester? I have a package for you."

"Oh, okay," Will replied glumly. The doorman handed him a small box from FedEx. He searched for the return address label. Pretty Petals. Will had totally forgotten. In that box was his surprise for Emma tonight.

Will took the lift up to his apartment, hoping Emma was still there, for surely she'd be home by now. And knowing Emma and her packing skills, she would take longer than the average person to pack a suitcase. He decided he was going to go ahead with the evening as planned, prepare dinner, set up the indoor picnic and persuade Emma to stay. Somehow.

He opened the apartment door, meeting only darkness. Emma wasn't home. It was almost 5pm. Maybe she had already come and gone. He ran to their bedroom, everything was as they left it this morning. The bathroom. Will knew she wouldn't leave without taking her toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss. But each item was still there. She definitely hadn't come home.

Shannon had more than likely driven Emma somewhere for a chat. _Yeah, that must be it_. Believing that to be the most logical answer, he made use of the time waiting for Emma to set up the lounge room. A thick, soft, blue blanket. White, vintage-style dinnerware for two set out perfectly. Two wine glasses, crystal clear. The 'special occasion' silver cutlery. A roaring fire. Classical music. Candles scattered around the room, their wicks waiting to be lit. Salad, done. Vegetarian pasta warming in the oven.

"Well," he said, admiring his handiwork, "Either Emma will love this or she will hate it."

All that was needed was Emma. Will checked his watch. It was almost 7pm. Time had gotten away from him and Emma still hadn't arrived.

Will had an uneasy feeling building inside. Picking up the phone, he dialled Shannon's mobile.

"Hey Shannon, Will here."

"Oh hey Will, how is everything? Did you and Emma work it out?"

He crinkled his eyebrows. "Uh, I haven't seen Emma since lunch. I thought she was with you. She is with you, isn't she?"

"N-no, she's not. I went to see her after school and her office was locked. I assumed she got a lift with someone else. Do you mean she hasn't come home?"

"I got here close to 5. All her stuff is still here. I haven't heard from her. Oh God, now I'm worried." He scratched the back of his head and stared at the ceiling, his stomach knotting.

"Call her mobile Will, she's probably just with one of the other faculty members."

"Alright I'll do that. I hope she's okay."

"Of course she is. You'll see. I'm really sorry, I have to run, Cooter's taking me out to Breadstix tonight."

"I'll let you go, thanks Shannon."

"No worries. Give me a holler if there is a problem though."

"I will. Bye."

"Seeya."

Will hung up the phone and dialled Emma's number. One ring turned into two, which turned into five, then ten.

"Good day. You've reached the mailbox of Emma Pillsbury, Guidance Counsellor at William McKinley High Scho–" Will pressed the End Call button. He tapped the phone to his temple and then called again. Letting her voice recording continue until the beep, he left a message.

"Emma, it's Will. It's late and wondering where you are. Please come home. I want to talk to you. I was such a jerk to you today. I'm sorry we fought. I miss you baby, please give me a call. I'm really worried. I love you."

He put the phone on the kitchen bench and waited for a return call. 20 minutes later. Nothing.

Will dialled her number for a third time.

"Em, it's Will again. Baby, where are you? Please call me; I just want you to come home. It's dark and cold outside, and I'm so worried about you. I love you so much, and not knowing where you are is killing me. Em call me, please. Please."

He held the phone in his hands. "Ring. Ring God dammit. Emma. Call me." He slumped back into the 3-seater sofa and broke down again. If only. If only he hadn't been so insistent on them having sex tonight. Was he really putting all that pressure on her? He had never actually asked her to make love before. Will was hoping it would just 'happen' while they were being all cuddly and kissy. He really liked the cuddles and the kisses, nuzzling up to each other, holding her in his arms and feeling her body. That should have been enough; in reality it wasn't.

He was only being honest.

He should have gone about it a different way. Maybe not so…direct. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Too late now. He took her engagement ring out of his pocket and dialled her number again.

"Em, honey, it's Will. I'm sitting here, with your engagement ring. I'm scared. I don't know where you are. You should be here with me, with this ring on your finger, having the best Valentine's Day ever. Please call me Em. God, I need you. I need you in my life. I just want you home. I love you, Em…" He cried as he said her name, the pain in his heart breaking him in two.

The desperation to find Emma grew every second. He text her as an alternative in case she really didn't want to talk to him.

_Emma, where are you? Are you still in Lima? Are you close to home? Text me back if you are. You don't have to talk. I love you._

He waited. Then, his message tone rang. It was from Emma. The message was empty. At least Will knew she was still with her phone and still in town. He text her back:

_Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you. Even if it takes all night to find you, I want you in my arms again._

Will extinguished the fire and turned off the oven and the music. Grabbing his keys and his coat, he ran out the door. He was going to find Emma and never let her go again.

It was freezing outside. Will wrapped the coat tightly around him, hoping Emma was warm. He started his car and began driving around the town, creeping along the main roads, scanning the sidewalks, searching for Emma. He checked outside Breadstix, the school, the library and the grocery store. She was at neither of those places. Will continued looking. He stopped at the cinema complex and asked the staff at the ticket booth if they had seen her. They hadn't.

There were couples everywhere; arms around each other, kissing, hugging, holding hands. The town was alive with love. Will thought about all the good times he'd shared with Emma, from before they were a couple, until now. He couldn't imagine sharing good times with anybody else. Emma was his girl, and he had hurt her greatly.

His searching was proving fruitless. He was about to call Emma again, asking for her location so he could pick her up. Time was slipping away. He had one last thought. His signs from the morning were still on the side of the road, maybe she was near them.

Will backtracked to his place and followed the signs. He turned his high beams on to help with the lighting. The last sign came and went. Emma wasn't there. But, there was a small park nearby. Slowly circling the park, his one last hope to find her, he squinted to see through the night. There were a few people in the park, mostly couples. Under a tall, dimly lit lamppost, there was someone sitting on a park bench. The red pea coat was unmistakable.

He had found her.

Breaking suddenly, Will couldn't get out of the car fast enough. He ran to her, his heart racing, his legs almost giving way beneath him, his body jittering from the utter relief of seeing her.

"Emma? Emma! Oh Emma!" Will called out, rushing up to her. He fell at her feet, resting his hands on her knees. Breathing heavily, he took a brief moment to catch his breath, and looked up at her. Emma's face was red from the cold, and from crying. Her hands were icy to the touch; her eyes puffy. She held the jewellery box in her lap. A single rose poked out of her handbag.

"Baby, I'm so glad I found you. You're so cold. What are you doing here?" Will cupped her cheek with his hand, wiping away tears with his thumb. His warm touch soothed her cold body, and she closed her eyes to avoid his. Even though she was wearing a coat, she had no gloves or beret and her extremities were not coping with the night weather.

Emma shook her head, gasping for breath between tears. "I couldn't go home and face you. So I've been sitting here, wondering what to do."

"Why didn't you pick up the phone when I called? I was so worried about you. I'd never have forgiven myself if something had happened. I care for you more than anything in the world." He kissed her nose lightly and sat next to her.

"I know," Emma whispered, opening the lid to the jewellery box and closing it again, keeping her head down. "That's why I love you."

He took the rose from her handbag and held it by the stem, spinning it as he tried to collect his thoughts.

Will dolefully turned to her, "Did you listen to my messages?"

"Yeah…"

"And?"

She sniffled. "I'm still upset with you."

"Em, honey," Will said, putting the rose down and taking her right hand, rubbing it between his own, "I don't know how to fix this, but please, let me try. We need to talk."

"Yes, we do." Emma coughed. She leaned against Will, trying to get warm, avoiding his gaze.

"Let's get you home. You'll catch cold otherwise."

They stood up and he put his arms around her, hugging her firmly. Emma's arms hung limply beside her. Will wasn't expecting a return cuddle; all he wanted was to hold her again. When he felt her hands on his back, he cried. Emma wept into his chest. Their bodies trembled together, yearning for a solution; yearning for forgiveness.

For the first time that evening, Emma looked him directly in the eyes, her tear-stained face raw and sincere. "You need to un-break my heart Will, because I can't take this anymore."


	4. Chapter 4

The car ride home was met with silence and stale air. Will kept his eyes on the road, desperate to get home, get Emma warm and salvage what was left of the evening and their relationship. Emma looked out the passenger door window, watching the darkness fly by.

Neither knew what to say to the other.

It was probably best that they didn't speak. There was already so much unspoken between them; all of it deserved their full attention once they arrived home. Will was just happy Emma was safe; it was impossible to describe the amount of fear that built up inside when she didn't come home. He refused to think about what would have happened if he never found her or she had never come back. What if Emma…? Oh, god, no. _Stop it, Will_. He pulled up at a red light and turned to her. She was still facing the window. Will gently took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. Emma watched him and bit her lip. She didn't pull away; instead, she pursed her lips, making a tiny smile. Will blinked back his tears. He took it as a good sign.

As Will returned his gaze to the road when they started moving again, Emma continued to look at him. The curve of his chin. His mouth, which produced the most delectable kisses. The outline of his nose and forehead. That gorgeous mane of curly hair, a little too short for her liking. Will was a very attractive man. He could have had any woman in Lima, yet he chose Emma. Some days she couldn't understand why. Emma was acutely aware of her shortcomings; she was far from being perfect. And gosh, today definitely showed her biggest flaw of all. But Will just proved, despite everything, he loved her. He drove around half the night looking for her. She heard the panic in his voice when he left the messages. He erupted in tears when she was finally safe in his arms. She gave back the engagement ring and broke his heart.

Regardless.

He loved her.

"I'm sorry Will," she irrepressibly cried, breaking the silence, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so, so, sorry!"

"Oh, Em," Will fretfully spoke, reassuringly taking hold of her hand again, keeping the other on the steering wheel, "Shh, shh…you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Please believe me."

She nodded, not believing Will at all. Emma was still upset with him, but she was more upset with herself. And that was what bothered her the most.

Will couldn't cope with seeing her in pain anymore. Knowing that he caused it and hearing her cry in this way was fraying every nerve in his body. Each intermittent sob and hiccup that escaped from Emma's mouth for the rest of the journey cut Will a little deeper.

Walking to the door of their apartment, Will and Emma held hands, finding solace from the gentle touch of each other. He unlocked the door, allowing Emma to walk in first. Will turned the lights on and closed the door behind him, placing their lunchboxes and bags on the floor. He helped Emma remove her coat and hung it on the hook near the door. Emma shivered. Her body was still feeling the cold from outside.

Will took hold of her shoulders and turned her around. "I think you should go for a shower to warm up. I'll reheat dinner and light the fire and we can sit in the lounge and talk." He felt her body tense up and let her go. Maybe the hug and kiss and holding hands were too much. Will only wanted to be close to her.

"Okay," she replied weakly. She backed away from him, feeling lost. Emma's mind was swimming. She was confused about her feelings. Was it possible to be hurt by and in love with someone at the same time? They couldn't simply leap into each other's arms and all would be forgiven. That was too easy and wouldn't solve anything. This would take time to mend.

As Will lit the fire and reheated dinner, Emma stripped off in the bathroom and stepped in the shower. The warm water rushed down her skin, as did her endless tears. Lifting her face to the water, she immersed herself, soaking her hair. She scrubbed her body with her loofah and body wash, then shampooed and conditioned her hair, cleaning away the grime, the anger, the heartache. Emma felt a lot warmer, but still shivered from within.

She emerged from their bedroom wearing her nightdress and bathrobe with a towel around her head. Will was stoking the fire, the flames peaking and growing, heating the room just right.

"Hey," she timidly announced herself.

"Hey, Em. How was your shower?" Will asked carefully, putting the poker back in its stand. Her eyes were glazed with redness.

"It was okay. Uh, what's all this?" Emma changed the subject, gesturing to the dinner setup on the blue blanket.

"This was part of your surprise tonight, remember, the indoor picnic?"

"Oh." Emma had genuinely forgotten. Will had mentioned it this morning, right before… It seemed like a lifetime ago. "I didn't think…"

"Well, we don't have to sit here. I set it up while I waited for you to come home, but if you're too uncomfortable…"

"No, no, it's okay, you've gone to the trouble, so…I, um…" Emma sat on the blanket, legs curled up underneath.

He kneeled down next to her. "The pasta's still heating up, so I might go for a shower myself. There's a salad in the fridge." Will wanted to kiss her desperately, she smelled so good and her gracefully-shaped lips were beckoning to have his lips on them. But not right now.

Emma subtly increased the space between them. "Okay."

"I won't be long." He was about to pat her leg, then suddenly hesitated. They looked at his hand and then at each other. "Uh…" Will cleared his throat and stood up. Uneasiness filled the air. "I won't be long," he repeated.

"Okay."

Emma tousled her hair with the towel and wiped her eyes. She folded the towel and got up, taking off her bathrobe and walked to the kitchen. Placing the towel on the kitchen bench and bathrobe on a spare chair, she took the salad from the fridge and checked on the pasta. It smelt so delicious. The sauce was a beautiful red and hints of rosemary and basil made Emma's mouth water.

When Will stepped into the bathroom, all he could smell was Emma. Her soap, her hair products, small traces of her perfume. What this woman could do to him by doing absolutely nothing at all. Will wasn't going to deny it; Emma turned him on every waking moment. Every single Emma dream had him hiding himself the next morning. Why shouldn't he want to make love to Emma? Moreover, why did Emma feel like she wasn't ready? Was she afraid? Embarrassed? They were going to get married soon and making love was a part of marriage. Wasn't she comfortable with Will by now? He pondered the situation as he stood under the hot shower, finally turning it to cold to wake him up. It had been a long day.

Dressed in his university t-shirt and standard pyjama boxers, he met Emma back in the lounge where she had settled herself down with the pasta and salad.

"I just took it out of the oven, it looks really nice," Emma complimented, handing Will her plate. He dished out a medium sized scoop of the pasta.

"I'm starving," Will replied, handing Emma back her plate then taking his own, "haven't eaten since break –" He caught the words in his mouth.

"Breakfast." Emma finished his sentence. Heart-shaped pancakes. Sitting in Will's lap. The champagne.

"Yeah." He wound the pasta around his fork and took a bite. Emma did the same.

"Did you want a drink? There's some wine in the fridge, but if you want something else…?

"Um, wine would be lovely," Emma decided. The tempting taste of alcohol seemed rather fitting right now.

Will got up and brought the wine back from the fridge, pulled the cork out and poured a glass each. They each took a sip. There was no toast, just silence.

Being too polite and agreeable with each other wasn't working. It felt forced and fake. Will wished for a normal conversation, like they used to have.

"I – I feel like I'm walking on eggshells, Em," Will admitted, putting his glass back down. "I don't know where to start or what to say, because I'm worried I'll upset you even more."

"You can't upset me more than what you already have," Emma pouted huffily.

"Thanks for the reminder," Will said sarcastically.

"Well you did," Emma bit back.

He exhaled, admitting defeat. "Yes, I know I did. I'm already trying to forget that I hurt my girlfriend's feelings. I'm a jerk. I'm a stupid idiot."

Her voice softened. "You're not a jerk."

"Just a stupid idiot then?"

"Yes," she laughed, "But you're my stupid idiot."

They smiled at each other.

"Emma," he sighed, "I'm so sorry. I truly am. I was out of order. And I behaved terribly to you. You're the one person who I love with my body and soul. I screwed up big time."

"But Will–"

"No, No, let me finish. I love you. And I'm sorry I made a big deal about… the sex. It's just that…it's our first Valentine's Day together. Tonight was supposed to be special, for you, for both of us."

"I know. I wanted it to be so very special as well. You can't take all the blame. This is partly my fault too." She pushed her food around the plate, not taking a bite.

"Em, when you disappeared for those few hours, I started to think the absolute worst. What if you never came home? What would I do without you? It was then I realised, I never wanted to take a break from us. It was my own stupid pride that got in the way. Sure, I was hurt, but the pain of losing you was far greater than you turning me down."

"I'm sorry I put you through that," Emma began, lowering her head, "I had to escape. I just had to."

"I think we both went too far." Will put his plate down and crawled next to Emma. She curled her body away from him. "Please don't back away from me. It's all you've been doing all night." He stroked her back and her damp hair. Emma relented, letting him touch her. There was no justifiable reason why she shied away from Will for those few instances. Except…his touch made her want him more, which was what she was trying to fight. It was difficult; she was failing.

"Oh W-Will, I'm s-sorry for not be-being ready," Emma wept, overcome with anguish. "I mistakenly led you on. What happened in the car, well, you know, I did really like that. A lot."

"So did I, which is why I thought… tonight… we could pick up where we left off." He tucked a few wet strands of hair behind her ear. Emma looked into his eyes; the firelight reflecting in his glistening tears.

She spoke honestly. "When you said 'make love', I panicked. I didn't want to push myself too far too fast. I'm not sure if I could handle what was to come."

"I understand. And you don't have to apologise for not being ready. It's your body and you determine what you do with it. I'm the one that made you feel that way."

"You told me that you don't know what I want, and sometimes even I don't know myself in terms of intimacy. But I do know one thing. All I want is you."

"Aw, Em," Will cupped her jaw line, touching his forehead to hers, "All I want is you too. I'm really, really, sorry. I love you baby. Forgive me?"

"Of course, Will. I'm sorry too." Closing their eyes, they rubbed their noses together affectionately. Emma beamed. "I love you."

Their lips met, kissing slowly and sweetly, their fight becoming a distant memory. Tears streamed down their faces, the salty liquid seeping into their kisses, a delectable sensation. Emma sandwiched Will's top lip between hers, sucking gently. Will turned his head in the opposite direction, parting his lips in succession with hers; soft, deliberate, open-mouthed kisses, enticing, seeking assurance from the other, seeking reconciliation.

"Let's make a promise to never, ever do this to us again. What we have is too amazing to go through this pain a second time." Will breathed on her ear, kissing her lobe and then planting a path of soft kisses back to her mouth.

"Promise."

It was pledge of dizzying proportions; their lips dancing together for forgiveness. Sinking even deeper into the kiss, Emma held her breath, savouring the moment, the loved they shared. It bonded them forever.

"Wow, I feel a bit light-headed," Emma cooed, kissing him on the cheek.

"As much as I would love to take credit for that, I think we need to eat." He played with the neckline of her pink nightie. Emma took hold of his hand, placing it over her heart. "Hand on my heart, it was you. Let's eat."

With appetites regained, it didn't take long for the duo to finish up their picnic dinner in front of the fire. As the wine drained from their glasses, they caught up on each other's lives, delving further than they ever had before, their new-found love cementing a better understanding and new appreciation for each other. Turning to the subject of regrets, they both agreed most of today was a day full of regrets.

"But you know what I regret the most?" Emma solemnly ascertained.

"What?"

"I regret handing back a certain engagement ring that I never wanted to return in the first place." Emma showed Will her bare ring finger.

"Do you want it back?"

"Uh-huh. I do."

"Interesting choice of words, Em," he raised his eyebrow, taking her hand, running his thumb along her fingers. "How about we clear away the plates and then let's just lay in front of the fire with that ring back on your finger."

"That would be wonderful, but let me do the dishes? You washed up this morning."

"Alright, fair trade. I'll help unset."

They brought everything back to the kitchen and Emma started to fill the sink with detergent and warm water. Will returned to the lounge with a box of matches and lit the candles he had set up earlier. He ventured to their bedroom and brought out the ring box, taking the ring out of his pocket and placed it inside, and the package from Pretty Petals. Sliding the box back into his pocked, he took out a single Ziploc bag, straightened the blanket and tossed lush, fragrant red rose petals over the floor. Will spelt out the words 'True Love' on the blanket in the petals. He flicked the stereo on to some light, classical music and with the remainder of the petals, made a path from the lounge straight to the kitchen where Emma was finishing with the dishes.

"Stop now," Will said, brushing up against her back. "I would like to spend what little time of Valentine's Day we have left with you."

"Well you're in luck," Emma said sweetly, pulling the plug, "I've just finished."

"Great."

Emma removed her rubber gloves and took Will by the hand. "Oh Will, all the rose petals!"

"Remind you of something?"

"Oh, yeah." She picked up a single petal and breathed in the faint scent. Wrapping their arms around each other's waists, they strolled back to the lounge. Upon seeing what Will had written on the blanket, she gave him a hug.

"It is true love, isn't it?" She asked.

"It certainly is. Now," Will coughed, pretending he dropped something, got down on one knee and removed the box from his boxers, "Emma Pillsbury, I love you with all my heart. You're beautiful, adorable and all I've ever wanted in a woman. You're my best friend. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife…for a second time?" He opened the box with her ring inside.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She took her engagement ring from the box and placed it on her finger, its rightful home. Emma leapt at Will, sending them both crashing down amongst the petals. They kissed each other passionately, rolling on the carpet, petals sticking to their hair and clothes. Will lay on top of her, looking into her gorgeous eyes encased by her fluttering, long eyelashes, as she touched his chin dimple with her finger.

"God you're beautiful," Will heatedly observed, pecking her on the lips. "I love seeing the ring back on your finger."

"So do I. Did you really mean all those words on the hearts?" Emma asked, knitting her fingers through his hair.

"I meant every single word. I could have made a hundred hearts, but I ran out of cardboard. I know you don't like Sweetheart Candy, so I thought you'd like these instead. Why don't you go get the box and we'll go through them one by one."

"Sure, I'd like that. I'll get my present for you too." Emma got up from their entanglement, petals floating to the ground, and ran over to the front door, where the jewellery box was waiting. She also grabbed a gift bag from her handbag. Will sat up against the sofa, playing with the petals, beyond overjoyed that he and Emma were engaged again.

Holding everything protectively in her arms, Emma sat back down on the blanket, opposite Will.

"Come here," Will gestured, grinning, and Emma sat between his legs, leaning back onto his chest. He put his arms around her, taking his gift from her hands.

"I wonder what this could be," Will guessed, peering inside. There were two presents. Unwrapping the smaller one, he gasped, kissing Emma on the cheek.

"Ukulele cufflinks! Oh wow, these are great, I love them Em. Thank you."

"That's okay. There's something else there too." Will pulled out a rectangular-shaped box. He removed lid to reveal a photo frame, hand decorated with pink gingham, a mixture of buttons and a bow in the corner. It displayed a photo of Emma smiling shyly at the camera. "And that's for your desk at work."

"I honestly don't know how I'm going to concentrate on work when I have you on my desk all day." He hugged her stomach, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You look sexy in that photo." Will kissed her neck. "Let's go through all the lovely things about you."

Emma opened the lid to the jewellery box, taking out the first heart. "I cried when I read them. You got me so upset and then I open your present with this beautiful jewellery box that you made and all these little hearts. It broke me."

"I'm happy you like it. I had a bit of help from the boys in Glee club; I wasn't the best at wood shop. Okay, beautiful eyes. Yes. The first time I saw you, I saw those beautiful eyes, smiling, friendly and warm." He casually tossed the heart amongst the petals.

"This one?"

"All for you. Every achievement, every good thing in my life is dedicated to you."

"And this?"

"Amazing kisser. It's true. When I kiss you, I get this electric shock through my body, it turns me on." Will pressed his lips to hers, leisurely clinging to her bottom lip. "Zzzsssst!" he hissed, making Emma jump. "See?"

"Will! You scared me! What about this one?"

"Ginger princess? I love the colour of your hair and you deserved to be treated just like the princess you are."

"Aw. Ha ha… this one?"

"Oh, ha ha! Sexy lady! From my drunk dial to you. I was so drunk, and I didn't care that you were married to Carl; I had to tell you how I felt. And you are incredibly sexy." He tickled her stomach. She burst out laughing, writhing to make him stop.

"N-next w-w-w-one," she cried out, still laughing.

"Ten seconds. Remember when I took on that extra job as a janitor, and I put some chalk on your nose? You let it stay there for ten seconds, even though it was bothering you inside."

"Ten seconds. A new record. Yes, I remember that. My crush for you turned into something more that night. Now, this one. I'm loving this so much."

"Soul mate." Will paused. "I believe we were destined to be together. Whether we knew each other in a different life, you and I were meant to be. You're always there for me, you know me so well, sometimes better than I know myself. I have to thank the Lord above for bringing you into my life. I found a new kind of love with loving you. And this is why," he closed the lid of the box, pointing to the words on the lid, "I give my heart to you."

Emma wiped her eyes. "Will, you're going to make me cry again. But this time, happy tears."

"Good, they're the only tears I want to see fall from those beautiful eyes. I love you."

"I love you," Emma blissfully avowed, curving into his chest, hugging him. Will wrapped his arms around her, content, satisfied. He had almost lost her today, this remarkable, charming beauty. Will was glad to have Emma safe in his arms again, this time forever.

"Let's go through the rest of the hearts." As the meaning behind each heart was read out, Will and Emma reminisced, their memories holding so much more value and importance. As the last heart was discussed and tossed lovingly to the floor, Will yawned.

"Honey, it's quite late and we have school tomorrow, did you want to go to bed?"

"Mmmm," was Emma's reply, as she was dozing herself. "Can we sleep here tonight?"

"Good thinking. I don't think I have the energy to walk to bed now."

"I have to brush my teeth first. Uh, I really don't want to move. I'll quickly go brush and floss and bring back our pillows." Emma sleepily stood up and walked to their bedroom. Will stoked the fire some more. Emma returned a few minutes later with a clean mouth and some comfy pillows.

Emma and Will lay on the blanket holding hands, staring at the ceiling. Petals and cardboard hearts were scattered around them. The fire burned bright, warming their toes, the rest of their bodies warmed from the love they had for each other.

Will closed his eyes, his body tired. Emma rolled next to him, placing a hand on his stomach. Her eyes opened and closed, before finally staying shut. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight my angel."

Besides the crackling fire, the rest of the apartment was in silence. Emma's mind was still awake though.

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"What if…when I'm ready, what if I do it wrong? You know…" she lowered her voice, "sex."

Will opened his eyes. Emma was obviously uneasy about her first time. "You won't do it wrong," he reassured her. "There's no possible way. Our bodies will know exactly what to do."

"But what if I make an odd noise or touch you in the wrong place? What if I have to pee in the middle of it all?" She looked at him with her big doe eyes, completely serious.

"Just go beforehand," Will stifled a chuckle. "Em, you'll be with me. I'll guide you through every step, every movement, every action."

"You make it sound so mechanical."

"Well, certain parts do need to go in certain places. Like a jigsaw puzzle."

Emma blushed furiously.

"The reality is you just go with the flow. It's an organic, natural activity," he explained.

"But I'm not, uh, well-versed in this area. What if you don't like…doing it with me? What's going to happen?"

"Are-are you worried I'd break up with you if…?"

"Yeah."

Will sat up. "I would never do that to you. Do not even contemplate that. Everything comes with experience; we'll learn from each other. And there is absolutely no way in the world I wouldn't enjoy making love with you."

"Don't expect fireworks the first time."

"All I expect is for the two of us to enjoy the pleasure we give each other. That won't be difficult at all because it's us, okay?" Holding her chin, he kissed her nose and they lay back down.

"Okay." She smiled, thinking about what Will has said and cuddled up closer to him, feeling his body rise and fall. He played with her now dry hair, stroking her back and shoulder. They drifted off to sleep for a second time.

Suddenly, Will snapped his eyes open. The candles were still burning. He had forgotten all about them. "Honey, I just need to get up and put out the candles. I'm afraid they'll burn the place down if we leave them."

"No, what's going to burn the place down is the hot, passionate love we're going to make once I'm ready."


	5. Chapter 5

Hot. Passionate. Love.

How could a guy sleep after hearing that?

Will Schuester was finding it extremely difficult. After dousing the candlelight, Emma snuggled up even closer. Being unable to do anything more than lie there was tortuous.

Will knew exactly what time it was. He'd watched the dim green glow of the hands from the wall clock for what seemed like hours. The seconds ticked by; all he could smell was Emma. All he could think about was Emma. And there she lay at 3am, her chest partly on his, arm draped across his body. He had to force himself to sleep otherwise he'd be a mess at school tomorrow. Heck, he was already a mess. Will closed his eyes, slowing his breathing, trying a relaxation technique that used to work like a charm the night before his college exams.

As he finally began to fall asleep, he suddenly felt coolness on his stomach, fingers circling around his navel. His shirt lifted higher and higher up his body, as did the pair of hands that seemed to be enjoying exploring his chest.

Will rubbed his face, blearily opening his eyes. "Em, what are you doing?"

"I'm ready now." There was a purr in her voice and a greedy smirk on her face. She bestrode his body, leaning down to kiss him. This wasn't any kiss. It was seductive, surreal, and forceful. Will felt her hands drift southwards, reaching for his length, taking him in her hands the way he always wanted.

"Ohh, Emmmm," he moaned loudly, startling himself awake from his all-too-real-dream and the sleeping Emma beside him. She rolled off him as sat up.

"Mm, Will, what's wrong?" Emma asked wearily.

He didn't answer. Will looked at the clock. It was now 5am. In the dying fire's glow, he saw his tented boxers and, desperately wanting to finish what his subconscious had started, bolted to the bathroom, stumbling along the way.

Shedding his clothes, he stepped into the shower, turning the water on, hoping it would drown out the sounds he was about to make. With one hand leaning against the tiles he clasped his erection in the other, each stroke calling out her name. All of Will's pent-up sexual desires for Emma were about to be set free. He was still partly asleep, his eyes refusing to open more than halfway. Will leaned his head against his arm that was supporting him and groaned as he released, exhaling deeply, satisfied, but not a quarter as much had he been inside Emma.

Still a bit fuzzy and rattled from being woken that way, Emma was trying to work out what had happened. He had run away so fast. She heard Will call her name. He sounded like he was in pain. But she didn't hear anything that indicated he was sick, just his voice sounded like… _Oh_. It clicked. She'd never noticed him in this situation before. Sometimes he did run to the bathroom in the morning, but she thought it was because he had to 'go'. If he experienced this every day, he never let on.

"Will, are you okay?" Emma knocked on the bathroom door.

"Em, just go back to bed, I'll be out in a minute." He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"Are you sick?"

_If you only knew_. "No, Em, I'm okay."

"You were moaning real bad." Emma thought it best to double check in case she was wrong. She could be wrong. In her mind, she knew she wasn't.

He chuckled. "Yes, yes I was."

"Let me come in." She opened the door, popping her head through and saw Will leaning over the basin. He looked at her and pursed his lips, repressing a yawn.

"I…I just had a dream. About you. It was, uh, a lot more vivid and real than usual."

"Oh." Emma dipped her head, blushing. "I had an inkling…"

"I'm really embarrassed. I didn't mean to be so…vocal."

She touched his arm. "There's no need to be embarrassed. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think I'd feel a bit awkward talking about it with you."

"Why? I'm your fiancée and a guidance counsellor; I talk about this stuff all the time with the students. I think it best if we talked. No secrets, remember?"

He nodded. "Alright, I'll get dressed."

"Good." Emma closed the door and went back to the lounge. She threw another log on the fire and lay back down, placing her hands behind her head. She thought about their Valentine's Day, their kisses, their conversations; what made yesterday so wonderful and so heartbreakingly sad.

She thought about Will.

He was the one. The one who was always there. The one who would surprise her when she least expected it. The one who loved her more than life itself. The few unmentionable events of yesterday aside, he was the most caring, thoughtful, generous man she had ever met.

His words from lunchtime haunted her. She imagined the feeling of his lips all over her body. She wanted to be loved by Will the way he wanted to love her. Heavens, she craved it so bad. She needed it. He was right. She wasn't reciprocating.

So, why?

Her cold feet weren't so cold anymore. She was beginning to border on ready.

Emma couldn't think of any excuse to hold back.

Except one.

Her wedding night.

They were going to get married in June; it wasn't so far away. She always expected to be completely intimate with her husband that night. In reality, her track record wasn't the best. It would be different with Will though. With Will it would be sheer, wedded bliss.

Her thoughts were interrupted upon Will's return. As he lay down beside her, she cuddled up to his body, soft and warm from the shower. He put his arm around her and she rested her head in the crook of his armpit.

"Comfy?"

"M-hm. How are you now?"

"A little tired. You took me by surprise, Em. What you said before we, well, you, went to sleep…I've never heard you say anything like that. Ever."

"I surprised myself a little. The words just came out."

"I couldn't sleep. And when I did, I dreamed about it. About us. It was…oh boy, just incredible."

"I dream about us too sometimes," she declared.

"You do?"

"Of course. Except it's very G-rated. I picture us under the sheets, kissing and cuddling and that's it. I seem to skip over, uh, that part. But I wake up smiling."

"You're in my dreams almost every night. You always look so radiant and sweet; your face lights up the darkness. I have a smile on my face in the morning too, amongst other t-things."

Emma rested her hands on her stomach, nervously rubbing her thumb. "Can I ask you…do you, uh, wake up like that, most mornings?"

"Yeah." Will's eyes remained focused on the ceiling.

Emma's body heated up from his admission. "Why have you never told me?"

"I-I know it's an area that you feel slightly uncomfortable with. I really don't want you worried about my hormones."

She rolled on her side, propping herself up on her elbow, anxious that she had such a tremendous effect on him and his need to conceal it. Emma felt terrible. "It's a sign. Your hormones are in overdrive. I'm the cause of it. Because we haven't…"

"It's okay. You're not ready and I understand. I deal with it. I have ever since we got back together." He kissed her head.

"That's not fair on you."

"Well, it's not the preferable method. I mean, what do you tell the boys at school?"

"I…hand them a pamphlet. And I tell them it's normal for boys their age to experience such things every so often."

"What advice do you have for me, Miss Pillsbury?"

"I'm going to tell you… all good things come to those who wait." She returned to her original position, twisted her engagement ring around her finger.

Will's pulse picked up. "Em, you're doing it again."

"What?"

"What you just said. You have these little ways about you that are either so adorable or extremely hot. And that was hot. Just like before. It makes me go all crazy for you."

"Oh, Will, sorry, I didn't even realise, I was–"

"No, don't be sorry. I really like it. And I'm looking forward to all those good things that are going to come our way."

Emma took hold of Will's arm that was wrapped around her. "Would you mind if we wait until our wedding night for the good things?" She held her breath, nervous to hear his answer.

"Not at all. I think that's a wonderful idea."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"That makes me feel so much better." She smiled and snuggled up even closer to Will, placing her arm across his chest.

"Good, baby. Let's just close our eyes and lie here until the alarm goes off. We have to get up soon anyways."

"Okay. I love you, Will."

"Love you too, Em."

They relaxed until 6am, lying in each other's arms. When the alarm sounded, they held each other for a while longer before preparing for the new school day. Emma picked up all the rose petals and hearts and tidied the lounge while Will made their lunches. She packed them neatly into her new jewellery box and placed it on the bureau in her bedroom, where Will was now getting ready for work. Dressed in a polka-dotted blue and white skirt and white blouse, she gave Will a hug from behind. She rested her head on the middle of his back and closed her eyes. He smelt clean and fresh from the shower he had taken only minutes before. Will clasped his brand new ukulele cufflinks on his sleeves and admired them in the mirror. Emma peeked around his body and kissed his shoulder.

"They match well sweetie," Will smiled at her reflection and then turned around in her arms.

"They do. You look so handsome today." She placed her hands on his chest.

"And you look absolutely beautiful." He leaned in and kissed her.

Emma flashed a shy smile. "I can't wait to see you at lunch."

"I can't wait to see you after school. I'll have you all to myself again." Will slid his hands down to her waist.

Emma covered his hands with her, holding his wrists. "Well, why are we standing around? The sooner we get to school, the sooner we go home."

"And the closer the weekend becomes. Oh, that reminds me, I've got Regionals Boot Camp rehearsal on Saturday. Do you mind?"

"Oh. No, no, I don't. Glee Club's important. Will you be gone the whole day?"

"Mostly, but I'll be home in time for dinner. Did you want me to bring something home?"

"Yeah, just you." She winked at him.

"Oh-oh-oh, Emma, if we weren't already together I'd say you were flirting with me." Will had a tender lilt in his voice. Still holding each other, he backed Emma into their bedroom door. She put her arms around his neck.

"Mmmmaybe. I'll plan a special dinner on Saturday, since you cooked last night. And I'll make dessert too. What do you say?" Emma raised her eyebrows and gave a toothy grin.

"I say…I honestly can't wait. But now, time for school." Will kissed her forehead. "Work first, us later."

Emma kissed her index finger and pressed it to Will's lips, sliding it down his chin and neck and then flippantly escaped from his clutches. "If you say so. I'll drive."

* * *

><p>Back in the school car park just 24 hours after their front-seat encounter gave Emma chills as she turned the engine off. The smell of the fresh roses may have disappeared, but looking at Will, it wasn't too far away.<p>

"The Warblers are going to be tough competition at Regionals this year, that's why we need extra time to rehearse. Figgins agreed to the weekend practise, so we're going to give it all we have. I'm hoping we place at Nationals."

"That's nice Will." Emma was only half-listening. She had let Will ramble on for the entire car ride, only chiming in for the occasional 'yeah' and 'you don't say'. Her preoccupation with Will and sex was making her rethink everything. She looked at it from his perspective and what it would be like. She was able to hear in his voice that it was becoming more and more problematic. Emma wanted to be part of the solution.

"…and I though tomorrow we could adopt a monkey."

"Sounds great Will." She unbuckled her seatbelt.

"You're not even listening to me are you?"

"Y-yes, yes I am."

"Then what should we call it?"

"Uhmmm… what was the question?" Emma made a face. "Sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I talk too much about Glee Club sometimes."

"I enjoy hearing all about Glee. It's a part of you. My mind is elsewhere this morning."

"Something wrong?" They got out of the car and Emma locked the doors.

"No, nothing's wrong."

"I remember someone saying 'no secrets'." Will put his arm around her shoulder. She was withholding something. He could spot it from a mile away.

"I'm thinking about what to cook you for dinner on Saturday," Emma replied nonchalantly.

Not believing her, Will said, "I'll accept that for now. Promise you'll tell me what you're thinking about later."

"I promise."

Will and Emma gave each other a goodbye kiss before heading off to class when a concerned Coach Beiste stopped them.

"Emma, Will, so glad I found you! You have no idea how happy I am to see you both this morning. Is everything okay between the two of you?" She was a little out of breath.

"Oh yeah, everything's perfect," Emma replied, keeping her eyes on Will.

"Great. That's just great. I tell ya, you've got one hell of a guy here. Yesterday I didn't know what to think when Will told me what happened, and then when he called not knowing where you were…"

"I know. I'm lucky to have him." Emma squeezed his hand.

"And thank you for your support yesterday Shannon. I really appreciate it." Will kissed her cheek.

"Shucks, that's okay buddy, anytime. You guys are my best friends."

The bell rang out, signalling the start of another school day. Will gave Emma one last kiss before going to class and Shannon headed to the locker room. Emma unlocked her office and sat at her desk, reading through her emails, and then surveyed the mountain of paperwork piled neatly in her in tray. All the work she refused to do yesterday. A busy day was an understatement. But at least her office was clean.

Emma sniffed the vase of roses. They were still flourishing and just as vibrant as yesterday. She felt Will's presence encircling her, comforting her, loving her, even though he wasn't nearby. She had a greater appreciation, a new found love for Will, overflowing like never before. That one fight had brought them closer together, allowing them to gain a better understanding of each other. One hundred per cent of her heart already belonged to Will, if she could give him more, she would. She truly would.

_In a way, the fight did have its benefits, _Emma concluded to herself. She had a great time making up, to say the least. Lying in Will's arms in front of the fire was much more pleasant than sitting out in the harsh cold. Although, she felt a tinge of guilt because she knew Will would come looking for her. Did Emma abuse Will's love? True, she didn't want to go home last night and yes; she was so deeply hurt each blow made it harder to breathe. She wanted Will to feel the pain she felt, punish him by not coming home. Make him worried; make him feel the guilt that Emma was now regrettably feeling. Emma was naïve to her own underlying ulterior motive. She owed Will the truth.

The realisation of Will's unconditional love for her rendered Emma thunderstruck. There was no denying it ever existed in the first place – Emma felt the same way towards Will, and had for a long time – but it had now manifested beyond anything she had ever known. It changed her inside. It was unquestionable. And she loved him for it all the more.

This was why Saturday had to be perfect. It had to be their Valentine's evening all over again. No, it had to be better than Valentine's. It had to be a combination of sentiment, love, and intimacy. A culmination of desires.

True desires.

Emma shivered in her seat. Those hidden, deep-seated desires she had for Will were alive and thriving and eager to be set free. Propping her head in her right palm, she rested her elbow on her desk and closed her eyes. These feelings were coming on sooner than expected; stronger than expected. A slice of sweetness swirled with a dash of longing and a trace of unbridled lust kept Emma in a thick fog of pure passion. All she could see amidst the white wisps was Will's lopsided grin, his eyes sparkling, his hands reaching out to touch her. From within she fizzed with excitement, the pain in her heart a pleasing ache only Will could put there. How she desperately wanted to fall into his arms, using her body to satiate his hunger for her and in the process, discard everything that stood in her way. How she'd give in effortlessly, permitting him to take her further, past the point of no return. How she'd move in harmony with him, consume him, poetically call his name as he did hers, until…

Whoa mama.

She had to take a moment to catch her breath.

Saturday was going to be all about acquiescing to their desires, giving them the freedom to step out of their dreams and into reality.

Emma turned a glorious shade of crimson just thinking about it.

Will had no idea.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

><p>A worn-out Will Schuester arrived home after a gruelling all-day session with the New Directions for their Regionals showdown. He dropped his book bag at the door, kicked his shoes off, headed straight for the fridge and grabbed a beer.<p>

"Hey honey," Emma greeted her fiancé as she spread herbs over vegetables for the dinner she was preparing. She was wearing her chilli-patterned apron with the frill and a knee-length mustard-yellow dress with a white Peter Pan collar and black buttons down the front. A thin black belt cinched in her waist.

"Hey baby." Will unscrewed the lid and drank the frothy, yellow liquid, quenching his thirst and assisting in the wind-down from today.

"How were the kids?"

"Oh, their usual selves. But, I think we have a winning team here Em. Such a great day today. I honestly believe we're going to make it this year."

"That's wonderful. Can you open the oven for me, just need to finish roasting the vegies. We're having roast chicken tonight, some white wine, fresh bread rolls and… dessert." Will opened the open and Emma slid the tray of potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot and green beans into the hot oven.

"Yum, dessert, what have you conjured up?" He inched closer to her body.

"You're not going to find out until you have a shower. You're all sweaty, now go. Scoot." She shooed him away like a fly.

"I worked the kid's butts off today, and mine. I'm a bit weary so a shower should wake me up. And the beer is helping." He covered his mouth and burped.

"Will, that's disgusting." She crinkled her nose at him. Will smiled. Emma looked cute when she disapproved of the small things.

"Disgusting for you; relieving for me. I better not kiss you then, hey? I'll go shower and leave you to do your thing." He started walking away.

"Aw, just one kiss…please?"

He stopped and turned around. Her pert smile was hard to refuse. They puckered their lips and touched them together softly. Emma had her hands flared to the side and Will, behind his back. He pulled away, his lips hovering directly in front of hers. Inhaling her perfume, that familiar scent that made him weak at the knees, he kissed her the same way again.

She could taste the beer on his breath. "Hmm… I should have waited until the beer taste was gone. Blecchy."

"Oh you." He picked up the tea towel from the kitchen bench and smacked her with it.

"Eek!" Emma squealed and snatched the tea towel off him and returned the favour, hitting his chest.

"Ow, you got me!" Will pretended he was wounded. "I'll go freshen up." He tweaked her nose. "Cheeky."

"Ha ha. Okay honey."

Will plodded to the bathroom, beer in hand and yawned. He wasn't sure how long he'd make it tonight before he fell asleep. He removed his clothes and stepped into the shower, closing the curtain. Will turned the cold and then hot faucet on; the water cascaded down, providing the invigoration he needed. He washed his hair and soaped up, all the hours of dancing and singing disappearing down the drain. His muscles ached, as did his feet.

He rinsed off and turned off the water, wrapping himself in a towel. Deciding it was too early to dress in his pyjamas, Will selected a casual shirt and black cargo pants. He gulped down the rest of the beer. Will dried his hair with the towel and placed it back on the hook and joined Emma in the kitchen.

"Dinner's almost ready; vegies just need to cook a while longer. I've finished setting the table as well. Enjoy the shower?"

"Yeah I've woken up a bit now. My body's just tired. And my feet are a bit sore."

"Oh." She opened the fridge and took out a glass bowl of grapes. "Well, we have a few minutes; would you like a-a foot rub?" Emma's little plan was going to start earlier than she first thought.

"Wow, that w-would be great, yeah"

"Let's sit in the lounge then." Stopping via the dining room to place the grapes on the table, they settled down on the couch and Emma held Will's right foot in her hands. "These sore tootsies are gonna feel a lot better after I'm done with them."

"You sure you're okay with this? Touching feet and all?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You've just come out of the shower. Your feet are clean. And I'll wash my hands before we eat. Now, relax."

Using her thumbs, Emma worked them into the ball of his foot, with slow, upward, strokes. The base of his foot was soft and pliable, her fingers massaging it with ease. Rubbing with a circular motion, she tended to his arch with one hand and squeezed the top of his foot with the other. Emma then repeated her actions on the left foot.

Will leaned back into the corner of the couch. He let Emma continue her rubdown, finally massaging both at once. The pleasure so intensely soothing, he wondered why they hadn't done this before.

"Feeling better?"

"Em, you're so good," he uttered, sighing loudly.

She bit on her lip to hide her smile. "Glad to hear. I never noticed how simply adorable your toes are. They are cute enough to play with. This little piggy went to market…" she squeezed his big toe, speaking in baby talk.

"Em…" Will warned.

She ignored him. "This little piggy stayed home." Emma wriggled his index toe. "He's a keeper."

Will looked on adoringly. "I can imagine you playing this with our children one day."

A wistful smile crossed Emma's face. _Children_. "This little piggy had roast beef." She touched his middle toe.

"This little piggy had none." Emma pulled a sad face, sticking out her bottom lip. He laughed.

Holding onto his pinkie toe, Emma began, "And this little piggy went –"

With a burst of energy, Will sat up and finished off the last line, "Wee wee wee wee all the way home!" He went straight for her stomach, tickling her ribs, her legs, her own feet. Emma doubled up in laughter, quickly trying to fight off the fingers that seemed to seek out her most ticklish parts, fingers that multiplied with every touch.

Will stopped for a split second as they caught their breath and then suddenly pounced on top of her. Emma put her hands up and grasped his shoulders, their faces mere inches apart. They stared at each other, breathing heavily, the laughs dying down, cheeks lightly dusted with shades of pink. Emma smiled tremulously as a silence eddied around them. Will saw an incredible beauty in her eyes, a winsome sparkle etched in the curves of her mouth, a private invitation to kiss those lips that belonged to him. He edged closer, closing his eyes, already anticipating a kiss so disarming he was sure they'd never leave the couch tonight. He parted his lips, tilting his head to the right, when…

_Ding!_ Dinner was ready.

_Damn!_ Will grimaced, unhappy that they were interrupted by a cooked chicken.

"Time to eat." Emma kissed his nose. "The chicken will go dry if we stay here."

A nose kiss. So unfulfilling. Will wasn't subtle in showing his disappointment.

"Don't worry, Will. The night is young." She drew circles with her finger on his chest.

"Yeah, but…"

"It's alright." She gently pushed him off her and sat up. "I must go wash my hands. You know, feet. Can you put everything out on the table for me?"

"Sure honey."

They went their separate ways. Will brought all the food over to the dining room and served up the dinner Emma had cooked. There were two tall, thin red candles on the table. He found a box of matches to light them and then dimmed the lights. Will wanted to wait for Emma before popping the cork of the bottle of wine. He split open his bread roll and buttered it, taking a bite.

Emma had decorated the table so well; everything was colour-coordinated and aplomb with each item. There wasn't one thing out of place. Even the napkins were folded and sitting regimented in front of the placemat.

She returned, smelling of soap and her hands and arms squeaky clean. Will pulled her seat out and she sat down, putting her napkin in her lap.

"The candles are a nice touch," Will complimented. He opened the wine and poured a glass each for them. Picking up his wine glass, he asked, "Toast?" Emma nodded.

"To my beautiful fiancée, I'm eternally grateful to have you in my life. I'm happy. I'm completely happy. Let's just say, I'm glad I found you." He hoped she would catch the double meaning in his toast, but it seemed to lose something in the translation.

They clinked their glasses together and drank, then tucked into dinner. Emma nibbled on a green bean and Will sliced into the chicken breast on his plate. Tender, juicy and cooked to perfection, he bit into the white flesh and chewed slowly, smacking his lips.

"This is just…delicious. You are a fantastic cook sweetie."

"Thank you Will." Emma reached for the salt and pepper, grinding some of each onto her dinner. She became noticeably quiet.

"Hey, remember how a few days ago something was bothering you and you promised you'd tell me? How about now?"

"Um…" She ate a piece of sweet potato.

"Is it still bothering you?"

"No, well, y-yes, but that's not what's bothering me now."

"Then what is?"

"Ohh-kay. Here goes. Um, remember Tuesday?" She put her fork down.

"Valentine's? Well, yes, it's a day I want to forget and remember at the same time."

"When I was at the park and you texted me, I was going to tell you where I was. Instead I chose not to."

"Why baby?"

"Because I, b-because I wanted you to feel every bit of hurt that you caused me. I was so damn mad at you. I wanted you to be sick with worry, to feel regretful. I did it to spite you. And I'm ashamed to admit, I did it because you love me, maybe a bit too much."

Will sat back in his chair. "Mhm. I see." Knowing Emma had felt this way pained him all the more.

"This is very hard for me to tell you, please don't be angry. I didn't mean to…"

"We all do things we don't mean. It's okay. It was the heat of the moment and you had your reasons. I won't have you beating yourself up about it now though. It's in the past. We have nothing but the future to look forward to."

Eyes brimming with tears, Emma's voice shook. "I don't deserve you. I'm not the perfect person I've made you believe I am. I'm not perfect at all."

"Em," Will put his hand over hers, "You may not think you're perfect, but you're perfect for me. It's written on one of those hearts I gave you and tethered to mine."

"You are amazing," she sniffled.

"I'm amazing because of you."

Emma downed a few mouthfuls of wine and dried her eyes. He had just added wattage to the internal smile that burned for the man she loved so dearly. Will had such a way with words. Everything he said and did stimulated that tiny part of her that craved intimate contact with his body. So considerate and forgiving, he was able to show time and time again the warm and caring side that Emma respected.

She bit into the chicken, the flavours tasting so much richer and appetising than before. It was amazing how heightened the senses could become when a person was in a state of flux. It was a change for the better; a change that Emma was comfortable to make.

Will and Emma talked about school, their upcoming wedding and honeymoon as well as plans for the summer. There was nothing but laughter and flirting over and under the dinner table after their heart-to-heart. A subtle game of footsies. Hand-holding. Impassioned stares. Feeding each other dinner. Will relished in these enticing moments; it was playful. And he wanted to play on.

Emma loved how the evening was working out. When Will ran his foot up her leg, the nerve fibres under her skin stood up and took note of powerfulness of sensory pleasure. Her body was ready to go further than it had ever been before.

The wine dwindled in their glasses. The candles steadily melted. The plates emptied. Dinner was almost over. Will wiped his mouth with his napkin and folded it neatly on his placemat.

"Oh Em, that was the best dinner ever." He took another sip of wine. "So, what's for dessert? You've been keeping it secret."

This was going to take all the courage in the world for Emma to say. She blushed and smiled at him. "Me."

Will did a double take and narrowed his eyes, unsure of what he heard. "What?"

"Me." Emma repeated the single word and sat on his lap, kissing him, her lips dawdling on his cheek.

Will did hear correctly. "Well, you are very sweet," he kissed her ear, "And good enough to eat. Grrr…" Will nibbled on her neck and Emma squirmed, giggling.

"Here, have a grape," Will took a single grape from the glass bowl and popped it in Emma's mouth. She chewed slowly, ensuring the juices coated the inside of her mouth, and then swallowed. Her lips ravenously found Will's and as he swept his tongue inside her mouth, tasted the sweet remnants of the grape.

"Mm, you really are delicious," Will quipped. Emma grabbed a grape this time and put it between her teeth, smiling. Pressing their lips together again, Will bit a piece off and kissed her as the grapes swirled in their mouths.

"Wow, I didn't realise grapes were so sexy," Emma murmured, licking her lips.

"And you haven't seen the half of it yet," Will heatedly stated as he bit another grape in half and rubbed it over her lips like a tube of lipstick. He sucked her top lip and then her bottom, then ran his tongue over them and repeated the process. Pin pricks of pleasure pierced Emma's nerves; internally she shivered.

"Let me try," she teased. Biting into the fleshy, bulbous grape, she dragged it across Will's top and bottom lips, squeezing the fruit gently. Popping it in her mouth, she sucked and nipped his bottom lip. Will was enjoying this thoroughly, it was so sensual and romantic and quite spontaneous. When she ran her tongue over his top lip, he moaned, his heart beating so fast he thought it would implode. Emma grasped his T-shirt as they kissed full on the lips, passing the grape between them, until Will swallowed it.

"Baby, uhmmm," he delicately susurrated, holding on her waist. This was too good to bring to an end, but Will had a gut-wrenching feeling they had already overstepped their boundaries. He preferred to stop now than avoid disappointment if they continued, which he was aware Emma wasn't ready to do anyway. _Best to tone down the situation_, he thought to himself. This way, Emma would feel comfortable and he'd be able to keep himself in control. Although the foot massage quite possibly could have escalated into something more… physical.

"Did you want to continue this on the couch? There's so much more we can do with all these grapes. And then we can cuddle in front of the fire again. Wouldn't that be nice?"

She took a deep breath. "Actually, I was thinking maybe we could continue this in the bedroom. That is, if your offer from Tuesday still stands."

His stomach tightened. Emma was considering going against everything she said. Will was afraid she was stepping into the deep end too hastily without paddling in shallow waters first.

"Emma. No." Will pushed her hands back down to her sides.

"What's wrong? Now you don't want to?" She didn't understand.

"It's not that. I don't want you doing this for the wrong reasons. And I think maybe you are." Will was only thinking about the emotional after-effects and the motive behind her change of mind.

"You were absolutely right about everything. It was a tough realisation. And because of me, because of my reluctance, you're having these problems…"

Will looked down at their hands, tangled together in Emma's lap. "I wish I hadn't told you about that. I feel just awful. You're not here to service me."

"I'm not 'servicing' you Will. This is my decision. We owe it to each other. It's what you've been waiting for."

"But…we were going to wait… until our wedding night. I was okay with that, honestly."

"True, I did want to wait. Well, that's what I thought. But, you're the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. The only man I want to be intimate with. So, does it matter if we don't wait? Tonight will still be special because it's our first time and when we get married, it will be our first time as a married couple."

He mulled over what she said. There was such pressure these days to do what society dictated. And Emma certainly had an interesting point. Will had to agree. He couldn't envisage being with anyone else now that Emma had entered his life. What did it really matter if they made love tonight? Just as long as they were two, consenting adults, consummating the desire and burning passion that roared inside their souls like raging infernos.

"So what do you say, Mister, will you make love to me tonight?" Emma brushed her hand against his cheek.

The anticipation was building inside and yet Will remained silent.

"Will?"

A broad smile appeared across his face. "Let's set the apartment on fire."

Emma shivered. She kissed him, her fingers getting lost in his hair, her body alight from the magic that was about to happen. She was excited and nervous all at once, the butterflies in her stomach going absolutely crazy.

"But, before we do, I'd like to say a couple things," he said, pushing an errant strand of red hair behind Emma's left ear and ran his thumb along her belt. His voice was low and soft. "Firstly, I'm going to make tonight the most wonderful night for you. I can't wait to touch you and hold you and make you feel like the gorgeous, sexy woman you are. I love you so much and baby, gosh, to experience this with you, to be your first, makes this a moment to cherish forever."

Emma smiled warmly. "I've been waiting for you my whole life." She touched his chin. "I can't wait anymore."

"It won't be much longer now. And secondly…" He covered her eyes with his hands and began to sing.

_Close your eyes, make a wish_

_And blow out the candlelight_

Will's singing voice was beautiful and strong. Emma recognised the song immediately. It brought her back to her teenage years, alone in her room, listening to the soulful harmonies, herself wishing for someone to sing this to her. And now, her one wish had come true. She made another wish as she closed her eyes; that Will Schuester would make it a night to remember.

He lifted her off his lap and they blew out the candles on the dinner table. They held hands; each little touch was becoming more electrifying by the second. It was a new feeling, a different kind of spark that created an enchanting physical sensitivity between them.

"Baby, we'll leave all of this for tomorrow," he whispered, gesturing to the table, then continued singing.

_For tonight is just your night_

_We're gonna celebrate, all through the night_

"This is really happening," Emma sighed as she cuddled into him.

"It is baby, I'm looking forward to it all, I love you completely," Will kissed her cheek and reached for their wine glasses. "Here," he handed her the glasses and filled them with the remainder of the wine.

"Let's take these to the lounge and begin our own little fire in front of the fireplace," he hinted, making Emma's head swirl with delight.

"Mhm, let's," she answered. He whisked her into the lounge, setting her down on the sofa, then preceded to set the kindling alight in the fireplace. He poked at the fire, added a couple of logs and sidled up next to Emma, drinking the wine. She looked incredibly stunning in fire's light; Will absorbed her precious beauty, those delicate features that had driven him to his own personal destruction. He could wait no longer. Will placed his hand on her knee and in his dulcet undertones, hummed the rest of the verse in her ear.

_Pour the wine, light the fire_

_Girl your wish is my command_

_I submit to your demands_

_I'll do anything, Emma you need only ask_

Emma's pulse raced. Will's hand was soft but so masculine. And it was on her knee. And his voice was melting her insides. "It's all for you. How am I going to keep myself from getting so deliriously out of control?"

"Don't. I don't want you to." She put her hand on top of his, sliding it up her thigh, under her dress. She looped her arm around his neck, drawing him closer until their foreheads were touching. Her skin was so soft and silky and irresistible to the touch. He watched with pleasure as her dress crept up further, showing more of her leg, the legs that he couldn't help but stare at each time she walked nearby, each time she sat near him, each time she crossed them in front of him.

"Em," he spoke softy, kissing her lightly on the lips, "your legs. Are they as good at dancing as they are at seducing me?"

"There's only one way to find out," came her velvety reply.

With a swift manoeuvre of his body, Will hoisted Emma onto his hip, holding her by the waist. She wrapped her legs around him, placing her other arm around his neck as he carried her to the centre of the room directly in front of the fire. He pressed his lips to hers, kissing fiercely as she slid her legs down his until her feet touched the carpet.

Exploring hands flowed over every womanly contour of Emma, her back and sides, around and around, up and down, until settling again on her waist. He exuberantly peered into her eyes, fervour intensifying, eroding the apprehension, fortifying their inherent adulation for each other.

_I'll make love to you_

_Like you want me to_

_And I'll hold you tight_

_Baby all through the night_

Will held her tight against his body, rocking her slowly, nuzzling into her neck. Emma glided her fingers down his back to the hem of his shirt, twisting her fingers in the fabric, touching his skin underneath. His nuzzling became light nibbling and sucking as Emma's hands crawled up inside his shirt, rolling along his athletic frame.

_I'll make love to you_

_When you want me to_

_And I will not let go_

_'Til you tell me to_

"Make love to me, Will," Emma murmured. He covered her mouth with his own, sweet, searing kisses, plying at her moist lips, imploring for more.

"I will baby, mm I will," he breathed heavily. "I want to hold off as long as possible, dance with you, feel your body like this until I can't stand it anymore." Removing her hands from underneath his shirt, he whirled her around the room to his own rhythm. Will dipped Emma and then twisted her around so she backed into his chest. Enveloping his arms around her, Will placed his head on her shoulder kissing her neck again. Emma leaned her head back, her arms over his. He circled around her body and gazed at her, a ruddy excitement beaming from her smile.

_Girl relax, let's go slow_

_I ain't got nowhere to go_

Will framed her face with his hands, kissing her forehead, her nose, loitering on her lips. He dipped her, dancing to the music they were making together.

_I'm just gonna concentrate on you_

_Em are you ready, it's gonna be a long night_

He pointed at her as he sang, giving Emma a smile that made her blush. _I'm ready, Will._

_Throw your clothes on the floor_

_I'm gonna take my clothes off too_

Will's hands shook as he fiddled with Emma's belt, pulling it through the loops and tossing it aside. Her breathing quickened as she watched on and subsequently removed his shirt, running her hands over his biceps. Will unzipped his cargo pants, kicking them away, leaving him in his boxers. She held his sides, kissing along his chest, sucking gently, drawing her lips together slowly.

"Em, honey, you are magic with your lips. Let me do the same for you." Lying Emma down on the couch, he unbuttoned the top button of her dress, kissing her neckline. As he peeled her dress open, he planted kisses down her body for the first time. Every move he made was delicate, touching, kind. His fingers floated like feathers over her stomach, his kisses a gentle warmth eliciting astonishing pleasure. He kneeled over her, kissing her deeply.

"Look how beautiful you are." He grinned at her, admiring her underwear. "So beautiful."

_I made plans to be with you_

_Girl whatever you ask me, you know, I'll do_

Emma closed her eyes, silently expressing heartfelt gratitude to the powers above for bringing Will into her life. As he kissed her, his hands burrowed in her ginger hair, she painted a picture of their future – happy, complete, heaven on earth.

"Mm, dance with me again Em," he hummed into her ear.

She let her dress fall to the floor, pooling around her feet. Will kissed her bare shoulder as they held each other, dancing in a circle, swaying. The closeness was tantalising; skin on skin, temperatures rising, an indescribable energy coursing between them.

_Baby tonight is your night_

_And I will do you right_

_Just make a wish on your night_

_Anything that you ask_

_I will give you the love of your life_

"Sweetheart, I need you now," Will throatily admitted as he pressed against her. Emma felt his hardness against her thigh; she fluttered south of her abdomen. Unaccustomed to the new sensations she could feel within the depths of her body, she quivered in his arms. She needed him just as much.

As Will opened his mouth to sing, Emma silenced him. "Shhh," she murmured, placing a finger to his lips. "My turn." Emma's mellow voice sung the final chorus.

_I'll make love to you_

_Like you want me to_

_And I'll hold you tight_

_Baby all through the night_

_I'll make love to you_

_When you want me to_

_And I will not let go_

_'Til you tell me to…_

Stripped bare. Emma had just stripped him bare, unravelling his core. "I won't let go either Em. I won't. You're a part of me and I'm going to love you the way I've wanted to since the moment I saw you."

"Well then, let's not waste a second more," she simmered, flicking the elastic waistband of his boxers.

Scooping Emma up into his arms, Will strode to their bedroom, closing the door behind them.

* * *

><p>"Mmuhm…Emma…"<p>

Will stirred from his uninterrupted sleep, his voice husky, his eyes barely able to open. He had been dreaming of Emma all night. This time, there was no sudden dash to the bathroom, no hiding, nothing like that. The dream was gratifying seal on his memory, a delightful epilogue to a delightful evening.

When his eyes finally did open, he was in darkness. He yawned, aware that it was way too early to consider getting out of bed. Besides, Will was in his own blue heaven, soaring higher than ever before. There was even a sleeping angel right next to him. Her name was Emma.

He cuddled up closer to her, arm around her bare waist, kissing her earlobe. "Em, are you awake?"

"Mhmnn…Will?" She rubbed her eyes, wriggling under the sheets, trying to find that special spot where her body was completely comfortable. Her ginger hair was tousled and messy, so unlike Emma, but still so gorgeous. She rolled onto her back and looked at Will, a sleepy smile on her face.

"Hi."

"Hey baby." Will kissed her forehead and turned on the bedside lamp, a warm yellow light filling their bedroom. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but happy. You?"

"Wonderful." He kissed her delicately on cheek. She twisted a piece of his curly hair around her finger, and gazed into his green eyes. Emma drew his face close to hers again, kissing his lips slowly in an affectionate embrace. So inviting and warm; sweet and soft. Will had tenderly caressed her body last night, just like he intended. Each kiss had scorched her skin, leaving behind invisible scars of passion.

"You were absolutely amazing Emma." Will brushed her face with his fingers. "Making love to you was beautiful, everything I imagined it to be."

She blushed. "You made me feel so special. I've never felt so loved before in my life."

"And you deserve all the love in the world."

"As do you Will," Emma amiably replied, touching her forefinger to the dimple in his chin.

"Can I ask you something Em?" Will asked, turning her engagement ring around her finger.

"Anything."

"If you gave me 50 hearts, what would you write on them?"

"You know, it's funny. Ever since you did that for me, I've been wondering which words I would use for you. Let's start with passionate. You're passionate about me, about school, about Glee and I love that about you."

"Hm-hmm, go on," Will said, sitting up in bed. Still undressed, Emma pulled the sheet and quilt up under her shoulders and leaned back into Will's chest. He held her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Kind-hearted. You care so much about everybody, there's not a mean streak in your body. You'll always go out of your way to help people, even when they have been terrible to you. It's a great quality to have." She kissed his hand.

"That's nice Em, sweet of you to think that." Will place a hand on her stomach, stroking gently.

"I see that in you every day. Next, Acafella. I bought a copy of your CD and listened to it every night. Watching you dance and sing up on stage, I was so proud. Your eyes were on me, not Terri's, I could tell."

"I was so glad you came, it was nice seeing your friendly face in the audience. And…yes you caught me. I was looking at you."

"I thought so! Now, mash-up. Remember when Rachel had that crush on you and you sung a mash-up of Young Girl and Don't Stand So Close to me? Oh my gosh, I think my crush got stronger that day."

"I only wanted you there to hear me sing… and just in case Rachel tried anything!"

She rubbed his leg. "If Rachel wasn't there I would have tried something! No, no… Umm…top hat and tails. Could you have looked any more handsome walking on water and proposing to me?"

"Oh, you liked that?" Will teased.

"Like is an understatement. You always, _always_, find ways to do thing that just make me love you more. I saw you, you dived in and swam to me and presented me with this," she motioned to her engagement ring, "and I cried. Everything was perfect. Just perfect."

"I cried too. I thought that moment would never arrive. And here we are, engaged, organising our wedding, planning our honeymoon. I can't wait to see you in your wedding gown. You are going to look so pretty."

"Oh Will, you're going to make me cry again," Emma wiped her eyes. Will hugged her.

"Don't cry baby, I need to hear more! Let's lie back down and cuddle, hey?" Will slipped further under the covers and Emma rested in his arms, placing a hand on his chest.

She sniffled. "Auhh, okay. Um, always there. You've seen me at my worst, at my best, through my OCD, medication, my parents, everything. You've been there for me. I appreciate that so much."

He pressed his lips to her temple. "I'll always be there."

"I know you will. Oh," Emma giggled, "Ha ha, goofy!"

"Goofy, Emma? Goofy?" Will tickled her ribs and she laughed wildly.

"Y-yes! Ha ha ha! G-g-goofy! B-because, dorky sounded mean! Noooo! Don't tickle me!"

"Uh-oh, you're in for it now!" Will rolled her over and tickled her until it brought tears of laughter to her eyes.

"Truce, truce!" As she caught her breath, Will caught her mouth with his, appeasing his attack on her body.

He shifted his weight off her, lying beside her instead. "Okay, I'll stop tickling, but I'll never stop kissing. Got any more?"

"Mmm… body, mind and soul. I am yours. Completely." She took his hand and held it to her chest.

"I'm yours forever. I love you baby."

"I love you too. Which brings me to…um… sizzlingly sexy. Yes. I'm talking about you. Us. What we did. Hot, passionate, love. You are way too sexy for my own good, Will Schuester. That turns me on." Emma crawled on top of Will, sitting on his stomach, gripping his shoulders. "I'll never have another G-rated dream again."

"Oh, baby," Will murmured, clutching at her waist, "we don't have to dream anymore."

"Wait," Emma put her hand on his chest, stopping him. "Just one more. Thank you." Her voice grew staid yet was filled with emotion. Her expressive eyes met his. He knew she was being serious.

"Why thank you?" He asked.

She cupped his face, grazing his lips with a gentle kiss.

"Thank you for un-breaking my heart."


End file.
